CICERO, NY – Recognizing a nationwide consumer shift toward dark roasted coffee, Paul deLima Coffee reports its institutional and retail coffee products have been slightly darkened over the last decade. The company says its marquee hotel, restaurant and retail coffees have gradually reflected a growing trend among coffee consumers to prefer full-bodied, more robust flavors.

Paul deLima, chief executive officer, believes the rise of boutique coffee houses and exclusive dark roast coffee retailers has sparked an increase in demand for darker roasts. He said that while the roast color of Paul deLima's institutional and retail coffees is still significantly lighter than the company’s line of dark roast products, the company has indeed added more body and fullness to all of its blends as a result of evolving consumer tastes.

"In the last few years consumers have become more educated as to how coffee is produced and where it comes from," said deLima. "This increase in consumer awareness is somewhat counterintuitive to the dark roast trend. The roasting process required to achieve darker coffee tends to yield a coffee that is heavier in body and mouth feel, but at the expense of the subtle nuances and flavors inherent in coffees of exotic origins."

Mr. deLima also pointed out that turning up the heat to roast darker coffee also removes some of its caffeine content. "In order to add more body and fullness, the coffee needs to be roasted under higher temperatures and for a longer time," said deLima. "Ironically, most coffee drinkers associate the strong, robust taste of a dark roast with more caffeine. But the dark roasting process actually takes some of the caffeine out of the bean."

Recognizing the trend toward darker roasts, Paul deLima Coffee has increased production of its new line of exclusive dark roast blends (French Roast, Midnight Blend, Vintage Blend and Dark Reserve.)

"Finding the ideal match of coffee flavor and body is a difficult task for any roaster," added deLima. "Our challenge is to recognize and reflect the consumer’s preference for darker coffee, while preserving the geographic complexity of specific coffees. A dark roast will generally provide a more robust and full-bodied coffee flavor while light roasts tend to highlight the natural acidic and floral tastes. Somewhere in the middle of the roast color spectrum is the perfect taste profile."

ABOUT PAUL DELIMA
Paul deLima Coffee is a leader in the premium "away from home" coffee industry. The company blends, roasts and markets a wide variety of high quality coffees including traditional institutional blends, exotic varietals, flavored, certified sustainable Fair Trade and organic coffees. These products are sold under the Paul deLima brand name as well as under a variety of private label customer names.

Paul deLima Coffee sells primarily to food service operations, convenience stores and distributors. Food service operations include restaurants, fast food, bagel and doughnut shops, as well as hospitality, lodging, health care, education, government, and business and industry locations. The company also sells to offices and supermarkets. Paul deLima Coffee is a significant supporter of domestic and international organizations that work to improve quality of life and economic stability issues for everyone. For more information about Paul deLima and its products, call 1-800-962-8864.